What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about California?

Which part? We are like the blindman with trying to describe the elephant -- all depends upon what part you're touching of the most diverse state going.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@Hem1ock Well, the first thing comes to mind is how different it is from what I grew up in. You can still find the range land and rural areas I grew up on, but the days of whole hills full of wildflowers and stopping to drink directly from the mountain spring water coming out of the hills are long gone. I miss the annual treks back to the tiny cattle/mining community of my childhood when I took my parents to see relatives. Last time I visited them and my siblings at the mountain cemetery, there was no there there anymore. While there were more homes, the general store/saloon and any sign of community other than the two-room school were gone. Everyone commutes into the nearest city. And while I still have relatives there, they are all of younger generations that I have barely met over the years. So that's the part I think of: what has been lost.

Hem1ock · 26-30, M

@dancingtongue thank you for sharing that, and we’ll put. I’ve heard a lot of similar points from my family that was lucky enough to grow up in old Florida.